Grant Green - 2018 "5 Original Albums"

Grant Green, who died at the age of 43 in 1979 placed himself alongside Wes Montgomery as a paragon of guitar technique in the twentieth century. These five original albums appear to have the best of his extensive back catalogue.

By the early sixties, Green was a force to be reckoned with for the visionary application of such technical knowledge of which he was deservedly proud.

Green rarely played chords, the organ or piano did all that background and of course, much more too, in the ensemble. He learned his distinctive style by studying horn players, rather than tracking the hand movements of other guitarists. Serious heroin addiction stultified the gift and the musician, who was born in St Louis, moved to Detroit after 1969 to rehabilitate himself. Further music followed in the seventies.

The five albums assembled here are a comprehensive anthology, and the slipcase includes Street of Dreams, which might just end up your favourite late-night, feet-up loungy choice. The album has four, lengthy tracks, opening with I Wish You Love, the Charles Trenet classic which you may know better by its original title in French, Que reste-t-il de nos amours.

Lazy Afternoon, credited to J Latouche and J Moross (search me) follows, one of the best-known Green pieces, wistful, moodily elusive and permanent in its subtle glow. The guitarist’s reading of Antonio Carlos Jobim’s Corcovado features on the album I Want To Hold Your Hand, whose title track is, yes, you’ve guessed right, the Lennon/McCartney hit.  There is uptempo, swing-oriented material on Grant’s First Stand and gospel, bluesy approaches are essayed elsewhere. Alluring stuff, featuring an array of legends, aiding and abetting, including Bobby Hutcherson, Elvin Jones, Larry Young, Joe Henderson, Bob Cranshaw and others.

1961 Grant's First Stand:

Grant Green's debut album, Grant's First Stand, still ranks as one of his greatest pure soul-jazz outings, a set of killer grooves laid down by a hard-swinging organ trio. For having such a small lineup -- just organist Baby Face Willette and drummer Ben Dixon -- the group cooks up quite a bit of power, really sinking its teeth into the storming up-tempo numbers, and swinging loose and easy on the ballads. The influence of the blues on both Green and Willette is strong and, while that's far and away the dominant flavor of the session, Green also displays his unique bop phrasing (learned by studying horn players' lines, rather than other guitarists) to fine effect on his high-octane opener, "Miss Ann's Tempo," and Willette's "Baby's Minor Lope." Green's original blues "A Wee Bit O'Green" and "Blues for Willarene" are both memorable, particularly the former, and the two standards -- "Lullaby of the Leaves" and "'Tain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do" -- are given smoky treatments soaked in bluesy, late-night atmosphere. Willette and Dixon both supply a tremendous rhythmic drive, and Willette's solos burn with gospel fervor. This same trio performed together on Willette's Stop and Listen album, with equally heated results. None of Green's contemporaries used the single-note style (Green rarely played chords, leaving that to the organ or piano) to quite the same degree, making him a unique voice on his instrument. And his terrific debut pegged him as an up-and-comer to watch closely.

Track listing:

All compositions by Grant Green except as indicated
"Miss Ann's Tempo" – 5:38
"Lullaby of the Leaves" (Bernice Petkere, Joe Young) – 7:41
"Blues for Willareen" – 7:08
"Baby's Minor Lope" (Baby Face Willette) – 7:19
"'Tain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do" (Porter Grainger) – 4:26
"A Wee Bit O'Green" – 7:49

Personnel:

Grant Green – guitar
Baby Face Willette – organ
Ben Dixon – drums


1963 Idle Moments:

This languid, seductive gem may well be Grant Green's greatest moment on record. Right from the opening bars of the classic title cut, Idle Moments is immediately ingratiating and accessible, featuring some of Green's most stylish straight jazz playing. Whether he's running warm (pianist Duke Pearson's "Idle Moments"), cool (the Modern Jazz Quartet's "Django"), or a bit more up-tempo (Pearson's "Nomad," his own "Jean de Fleur"), Green treats the material with the graceful elegance that was the hallmark of his best hard bop sessions, and that quality achieves its fullest expression here. He's helped by an ensemble that, as a sextet, is slightly larger and fuller-sounding than usual, and there's plenty of room for solo explorations on the four extended pieces. Pearson's touch on the piano is typically warm, while two players best known on Blue Note for their modernist dates mellow out a bit -- the cool shimmer of Bobby Hutcherson's vibes is a marvelously effective addition to the atmosphere, while Joe Henderson plays with a husky, almost Ike Quebec-like breathiness. That cushion of support helps spur Green to some of the loveliest, most intimate performances of his career -- no matter what the tempo, it's as if his guitar is whispering secrets in your ear. It's especially true on the dreamy title track, though: a gorgeous, caressing, near-15-minute excursion that drifts softly along like a warm, starry summer night. Even more than the two-disc set The Complete Quartets With Sonny Clark, Idle Moments is the essential first Green purchase, and some of the finest guitar jazz of the hard bop era.

Track listing:

"Idle Moments" (Pearson) – 14:56
"Jean De Fleur" (Green) – 6:49
"Django" (John Lewis) – 8:44
"Nomad" (Pearson) – 12:16
Bonus tracks on CD reissue:

"Jean De Fleur" [Alternate Take] - 8:09
"Django" [Alternate Take] - 13:12
Recorded on November 4 (#1, 4-6)and November 15 (#2-3), 1963.

Personnel:

Grant Green - guitar
Joe Henderson - tenor saxophone
Duke Pearson - piano
Bobby Hutcherson - vibraphone
Bob Cranshaw - double bass
Al Harewood - drums


1963 The Latin Bit:

Grant Green, being known mainly as a soul jazz guitarist, eventually gravitated into the popular boogaloo sound. The Latin Bit is the natural bridge to that next phase, though a bit premature for most in 1961-1963, even relative to the subsequent bossa nova craze. Pianist Johnny Acea, long an underrated jazzman, is the nucleus of this session, grounding it with witty chops, chordal comping, and rhythmic meat. The Latino rhythm section of drummer Willie Bobo and conga player Carlos "Patato" Valdes personify authentic, seasoned spice, while at times the chekere sound of Garvin Masseaux makes the soup too thick. At its collective best, the group presents a steady, serene, and steamy "Besame Mucho" and the patient, slow, slinky, sultry "Tico Tico." Just a small step below is a classy take on Charlie Parker's "My Little Suede Shoes," a premier jazz bebop (emphasis) tune with a Latin undertow and Green's tiniest staccato phrases, slightly marred by the overbearing constant chekere, but still classic. "Mama Inez" ranks high for its calypso-infused happy feeling and wry stop-start lines. The straight-ahead hard bopper "Brazil" and lone soul-jazz tune, "Blues for Juanita," display the single-note acumen that made Green's style instantly recognizable. This date always yielded mixed results for staunch fans of Green, but it remains a credible effort, even if slightly flawed in part. [Some reissues add two selections with pianist Sonny Clark and tenor saxophonist Ike Quebec, the latter of whom plays hip secondary harmonies on the bossa nova-flavored "Granada," but is in the complete background and a non-factor on the pop tune "Hey There."]

Track listing:

All compositions by Grant Green except where noted

"Mambo Inn" (Bauzá, Sampson, Bobby Woodlen) – 5:52
"Bésame Mucho" (Consuelo Velázquez) – 7:12
"Mama Inez" (L. Wolfe Gilbert, Eliseo Grenet) – 6:42
"Brazil" (Barroso) – 5:01
"Tico Tico" (Zequinha de Abreu) – 7:46
"My Little Suede Shoes" (Parker) – 6:23
Bonus track on CD reissue:

"Blues for Juanita" – 7:06
"Granada" (Agustín Lara) – 6:27
"Hey There" (Adler, Ross) – 7:24
Recorded on April 26 (tracks 1-7) and September 7 (tracks 8-9), 1962.

Personnel:

Grant Green - guitar
Ike Quebec - tenor saxophone (tracks 8-9)
John Acea (tracks 1-7), Sonny Clark (tracks 8-9) - piano
Wendell Marshall - bass
Willie Bobo - drums
Carlos "Patato" Valdes - conga (tracks 1-6, 8-9)
Garvin Masseaux - chekere (tracks 1-6)


1964 Street Of Dreams:

Grant Green's second session with organist Larry Young, Street of Dreams brings back drummer Elvin Jones and adds Bobby Hutcherson on vibes for a mellow, dreamy album that lives up to its title. There are only four selections, all standards and all around eight to ten minutes long, and the musicians approach them as extended mood pieces, creating a marvelously light, cool atmosphere that's maintained throughout the record. Hutcherson is the perfect addition for this project, able to blend in with the modal advancement of the rest of the ensemble while adding his clear, shimmering tone to the overall texture of the album. All the musicians play with a delicate touch that's quite distinct from the modal soul-jazz on Talkin' About; it's not so much romantic as thoughtful and introspective, floating along as if buoyed by clouds. There aren't really any fireworks or funky grooves, as the music is all of a piece, which makes it difficult to choose the highlights from French songwriter Charles Trenet's "I Wish You Love," "Lazy Afternoon," the title track, or "Somewhere in the Night." It's another fine record in a discography filled with them, and yet another underrated Green session.

Track listing:

"I Wish You Love" (Chauliac, Trenet) – 8:46
"Lazy Afternoon" (Latouche, Moross) – 7:44
"Street of Dreams" (Young, Lewis) – 9:03
"Somewhere in the Night" (Billy May, Milt Raskin) – 8:01

Personnel:

Grant Green - guitar
Bobby Hutcherson - vibes
Larry Young - organ
Elvin Jones - drums


1966 I Want To Hold Your Hand:

The third of three sessions Grant Green co-led with modal organist Larry Young and Coltrane drummer Elvin Jones, I Want to Hold Your Hand continues in the soft, easy style of its predecessor, Street of Dreams. This time, however -- as one might guess from the title and cover photo -- the flavor is less reflective and more romantic and outwardly engaging. Part of the reason is tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley, who takes Bobby Hutcherson's place accompanying the core trio. His breathy, sensuous warmth keeps the album simmering at a low boil, and some of the repertoire helps as well, mixing romantic ballad standards (often associated with vocalists) and gently undulating bossa novas. The title track -- yes, the Beatles tune -- is one of the latter, cleverly adapted and arranged into perfectly viable jazz that suits Green's elegant touch with pop standards; the other bossa nova, Jobim's "Corcovado," is given a wonderfully caressing treatment. Even with all the straightforward pop overtones of much of the material, the quartet's playing is still very subtly advanced, both in its rhythmic interaction and the soloists' harmonic choices. Whether augmented by an extra voice or sticking to the basic trio format, the Green/Young/Jones team produced some of the most sophisticated organ/guitar combo music ever waxed, and I Want to Hold Your Hand is the loveliest of the bunch.

Track listing:

"I Want to Hold Your Hand" (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) – 7:23
"Speak Low" (Ogden Nash, Kurt Weill) – 7:14
"Stella by Starlight" (Ned Washington, Victor Young) – 6:29
"Corcovado (Quiet Nights)" (Antonio Carlos Jobim) – 5:59
"This Could Be the Start of Something" (Steve Allen) – 7:08
"At Long Last Love" (Cole Porter) – 7:17

Personnel:

Grant Green - guitar
Hank Mobley - tenor saxophone (tracks 1-4 & 6)
Larry Young - organ
Elvin Jones - drums